Micro needling is a minimally invasive treatment using devices with hundreds of tiny needles ranging in depth from .25 mm to 2.5 mm to treat and improve a variety of skin conditions. The concept of using tiny needles to create an intentional and controlled injury to the skin to trigger a healing response has a history dating back several decades but as with every other technology, the technique has been constantly evolving and improving to a level where it is fast becoming very popular with dermatologists across the globe to improve the appearance of acne scars as well as other pitted scars, fine lines around the mouth and eyes, pigmentation left behind by acne and other hormonal causes, open pores and also to bring back some elasticity, lift and thickness to thin aged skin.
The earliest micro needling treatments were like stamps with needles used mainly to treat acne scars. There was no product involved and the resultant injury led to a healing response, stimulating the formation of collagen. A series of sessions were usually performed at monthly gaps to show visible results in the form of a smoother skin surface.
Micro needling devices have since changed to include the derma rollers, which require the practitioner to manually move it over the treatment area, doing a few passes. Typically a derma roller can have needles of a certain size only limiting the treatment indication and area at any given point. An improvement in the technique arrived in the form of a derma pen which is motorized and can also have varying needle depths making it easier to treat multiple indications on the same area, as well as difficult to reach areas like around the eyes and nose. Also the tissue trauma is much less compared to the former.
A further addition is the current and trendy practice of including a serum delivery along with the process of micro needling that adds hugely to the existing benefits. One can use Hyaluronic acid to enhance collagen and hydration levels, vitamin c and other anti oxidants to speed up pigmentation disorders as well as other drugs specific to the indication. The pores created by the micro or even nano needles close in about 10 to 15 minutes after the treatment so there is minimal to nil downtime in most cases.
For the sheer number of indications that micro needling can address, its suitability across all skin types, the combination of a topical drug delivery to reach where it can start working almost immediately and the miracle of a needle treatment with minimal downtime and visible immediate results are fast making it a top treatment modality both among dermatologists and their clients. The versatility of this treatment in being combined with other technologies like radiofrequency or suction vacuum gives it a definite edge as a prime multitasker in aesthetic medicine.
